Archive for the ‘Certified Instructors’ Category

Riding, singing and drumming to the joy that is his life, Tom Durocher hails from the small Fishing Lake Metis Settlement of Northeast Alberta, Canada. He can’t remember ever NOT being around horses and he takes pride in his natural upbringing and lifestyle. Traditional ceremonies and community functions complement his love of humanity and although he was very warm, engaging and kind to me, it was pretty obvious who really captures his heart. Horses are Tom’s passion.

Reading “the Man Who Listens to Horses” by Monty Roberts was the life changer that took him out of his comfort zone, community and country to seek the knowledge he was destined to learn. He actually had to get a passport too! From Fishing Lake to Solvang, California Tom traveled to Flag is Up Farm to meet the man who would improve on the already solid foundation Tom had built with horses.

Having spent considerable time with Monty myself, I know that heart to heart talks, compassion, kindness and understanding just naturally seep into the conversation. You get the feeling he knows you and with that, knows exactly what you need, right now, to bring you to a better understanding of not only your equine partner but yourself.

It was heartwarming to watch Tom at Mane Event, Red Deer, as he understood that the horse allocated to him was really frightened. He decided not to push too much. He decided not to win the Trainers Challenge. He decided that this horse would be better off leaving the event on a comfortable note, rather than the stress required to overcome the fear she had. Some horses are just more fearful than others and overcoming real apprehension can take more time than the 3 days allowed. Tom was not willing to risk it and gave up the chance to win for the betterment of the horse.

This is the type of trainer who can really serve and benefit of horses. Way to go Tom Durocher!